[Dòmhnall] Caisteal Leòdhais ann an Steòrnabhagh anns na h-Eileanan Siar. Ìomhaigh bhrèagha dhan luchd-turais agus deagh shamhla air grinneachas Bhictorianach an latha. Ach 's ann le airgead dhrugaichean a chaidh an caisteal a thogail.
[Dòmhnall] Rinn Seumas MacMathain fhortan air obair gràineil an opium ann an Sìona. 'S ann às an Luirg ann an Cataibh a bha e bho thùs agus cheannaich e Leòdhas ann an ochd deug dà fhichead 's a ceithir.
[Dòmhnall] Chosg an caisteal ceud mìle not dhan Mhathanach aig àm nuair a bha màl croite ann an Leòdhas dìreach còrr air trì notaichean. Cha b' urrainn dhan dhà shaoghal a bha sin a bhith na b' fhaide bho chèile.
[Dòmhnall] Cha robh cor nan daoine air an robh Mathanach na uachdaran uile chumhachdach ach mar a bha na ceudan mhìltean Gàidheil air feadh na Gàidhealtachd 's nan Eilean. Bha iad an urra ris an fhearann airson beòshlàinte ach cha robh còir cinnteach sam bith aca air an fhearann sin. Bha iad bochd 's an teachd a-steach neo-chinnteach. Bha an t-eilean air buille mhòr fhulang nuair a shearg obair na ceilp. Chaidh an uair sin am buntàta a dhìth 's thàinig a' ghort. Dh'fheumadh an t-uachdaran rudeigin a dhèanamh.
[Joni Bhocanan] Nuair a cheannaich e Leòdhas thòisich e work schemes, ag obair air ròidean agus togalaichean 's rudan timcheall a' chaisteil 's nan loidsichean a bha air feadh an àite, agus gu mì-fhortanach cha robh na rudan sin a' dèanamh rudan mòran math dha na daoine, dha na croitearan. Agus cuideachd cha robh iad a' faighinn mòran sam bith a phàigheadh air a shon. Glè thric 's e am pàigheadh a bha iad a' faighinn 's erelief meal agus buntàta a bh' air a chur a-nuas bho charities tron Eaglais Shaoir agus air feadh na Galltachd.
[Dòmhnall] Tha an caisteal a thog eileanaich acrach an-diugh falamh. 'S e sgoil a bh' ann a' chuid mhòr dhen linn-sa ach tha e air a bhith a' dol a dhìth bho chionn bhliadhnaichean. Ged a tha an t-ùghdarras ionadail a-nis a' feuchainn ri a leasachadh, tha an togalach na shealladh?. Ach truagh 's gu bheil e sheas e na b' fhaide na sheas geallaidhean an uachdarain leis an robh e.
[Dòmhnall] Nuair a cheannaich MacMhathain Eilean Leòdhais gheall e nach cuireadh e duine a-null thairis an aghaidh a thoil ach mu ochd deug leth-cheud 's a h-aon bha planaichean gan cur an gnìomh airson timcheall air dà mhìle gu leth neach a chur air falbh, faisg air siathamh cuid de shluagh nan tuathan. Chaidh an cuideachadh airson imrich a dhèanamh ach 's e cuideachd glè bheag roghainn a bh' aca.
Chaidh am prògram seo, Na h-Eilthirich, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 1999.
[Donald] Lews Castle in Stornoway in the Western Isles. A beautiful image for tourists and a fitting symbol of Victoria finery of the day. But the castle was built with drugs' money.
[Donald] James Matheson made his fortune from the hideous trade of opium in China. He was originally from Lairg in Caithness and he bought Lewis in 1844.
[Donald] The castle cost Matheson a £100,000 at a time when croft rent in Lewis was just over three pounds. Those two worlds couldn't have been further apart.
[Donald] The standard of living for the people over which Matheson was the all powerful landlord was just the same as the hundreds of thousands of Gaels throughout the Highlands and Islands. They depended upon the land for a living but they had no sure stake on that land. They were poor and their income was uncertain. The island had suffered a great blow when the kelp industry weaned. Then the potato famine. The landlord had to do something.
[Joni Buchanan] When he bought Lewis he started work schemes, working on roads and buildings and things around the castle and the lodges that were around the place, and unfortunately those things didn't do many good things for the people, for the crofters. And also they didn't get much pay at all for it. Very often the pay that they got was a relief meal and potatoes that had been sent from charities through the Free Church and across the Lowlands.
[Donald] The castle that hungry islanders built is today empty. It was a school for a good part of this century but it has been in disrepair for years. Although the local authority is now trying to improve it, the building is asight. But as bad as it is it stood longer than the promises of the landlord who owed it.
[Donald] When Matheson bought the Isle of Lewis he promised that he wouldn't send anyone abroad against their wishes but around eighteen fifty one plans were actioned to evict about two and a half thousand people, nearly a sixth of the population. They were assisted to emigrate but they also had very little choice.
This programme, Na h-Eilthirich, was first broadcast in 1999.
[Dòmhnall] Caisteal Leòdhais ann an Steòrnabhagh anns na h-Eileanan Siar. Ìomhaigh bhrèagha dhan luchd-turais agus deagh shamhla air grinneachas Bhictorianach an latha. Ach 's ann le airgead dhrugaichean a chaidh an caisteal a thogail.
[Dòmhnall] Rinn Seumas MacMathain fhortan air obair gràineil an opium ann an Sìona. 'S ann às an Luirg ann an Cataibh a bha e bho thùs agus cheannaich e Leòdhas ann an ochd deug dà fhichead 's a ceithir.
[Dòmhnall] Chosg an caisteal ceud mìle not dhan Mhathanach aig àm nuair a bha màl croite ann an Leòdhas dìreach còrr air trì notaichean. Cha b' urrainn dhan dhà shaoghal a bha sin a bhith na b' fhaide bho chèile.
[Dòmhnall] Cha robh cor nan daoine air an robh Mathanach na uachdaran uile chumhachdach ach mar a bha na ceudan mhìltean Gàidheil air feadh na Gàidhealtachd 's nan Eilean. Bha iad an urra ris an fhearann airson beòshlàinte ach cha robh còir cinnteach sam bith aca air an fhearann sin. Bha iad bochd 's an teachd a-steach neo-chinnteach. Bha an t-eilean air buille mhòr fhulang nuair a shearg obair na ceilp. Chaidh an uair sin am buntàta a dhìth 's thàinig a' ghort. Dh'fheumadh an t-uachdaran rudeigin a dhèanamh.
[Joni Bhocanan] Nuair a cheannaich e Leòdhas thòisich e work schemes, ag obair air ròidean agus togalaichean 's rudan timcheall a' chaisteil 's nan loidsichean a bha air feadh an àite, agus gu mì-fhortanach cha robh na rudan sin a' dèanamh rudan mòran math dha na daoine, dha na croitearan. Agus cuideachd cha robh iad a' faighinn mòran sam bith a phàigheadh air a shon. Glè thric 's e am pàigheadh a bha iad a' faighinn 's erelief meal agus buntàta a bh' air a chur a-nuas bho charities tron Eaglais Shaoir agus air feadh na Galltachd.
[Dòmhnall] Tha an caisteal a thog eileanaich acrach an-diugh falamh. 'S e sgoil a bh' ann a' chuid mhòr dhen linn-sa ach tha e air a bhith a' dol a dhìth bho chionn bhliadhnaichean. Ged a tha an t-ùghdarras ionadail a-nis a' feuchainn ri a leasachadh, tha an togalach na shealladh?. Ach truagh 's gu bheil e sheas e na b' fhaide na sheas geallaidhean an uachdarain leis an robh e.
[Dòmhnall] Nuair a cheannaich MacMhathain Eilean Leòdhais gheall e nach cuireadh e duine a-null thairis an aghaidh a thoil ach mu ochd deug leth-cheud 's a h-aon bha planaichean gan cur an gnìomh airson timcheall air dà mhìle gu leth neach a chur air falbh, faisg air siathamh cuid de shluagh nan tuathan. Chaidh an cuideachadh airson imrich a dhèanamh ach 's e cuideachd glè bheag roghainn a bh' aca.
Chaidh am prògram seo, Na h-Eilthirich, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 1999.
[Donald] Lews Castle in Stornoway in the Western Isles. A beautiful image for tourists and a fitting symbol of Victoria finery of the day. But the castle was built with drugs' money.
[Donald] James Matheson made his fortune from the hideous trade of opium in China. He was originally from Lairg in Caithness and he bought Lewis in 1844.
[Donald] The castle cost Matheson a £100,000 at a time when croft rent in Lewis was just over three pounds. Those two worlds couldn't have been further apart.
[Donald] The standard of living for the people over which Matheson was the all powerful landlord was just the same as the hundreds of thousands of Gaels throughout the Highlands and Islands. They depended upon the land for a living but they had no sure stake on that land. They were poor and their income was uncertain. The island had suffered a great blow when the kelp industry weaned. Then the potato famine. The landlord had to do something.
[Joni Buchanan] When he bought Lewis he started work schemes, working on roads and buildings and things around the castle and the lodges that were around the place, and unfortunately those things didn't do many good things for the people, for the crofters. And also they didn't get much pay at all for it. Very often the pay that they got was a relief meal and potatoes that had been sent from charities through the Free Church and across the Lowlands.
[Donald] The castle that hungry islanders built is today empty. It was a school for a good part of this century but it has been in disrepair for years. Although the local authority is now trying to improve it, the building is asight. But as bad as it is it stood longer than the promises of the landlord who owed it.
[Donald] When Matheson bought the Isle of Lewis he promised that he wouldn't send anyone abroad against their wishes but around eighteen fifty one plans were actioned to evict about two and a half thousand people, nearly a sixth of the population. They were assisted to emigrate but they also had very little choice.
This programme, Na h-Eilthirich, was first broadcast in 1999.